How to Pick Your Daughter's First Perfume

Depending on your daughter's age and personality, she might want to pick out her perfume. If she's expressed a general interest in perfume and doesn't seem to have a preference for a particular kind, she'd probably love a surprise. For some little girls, it's just the concept (and the pretty bottle) that matters. She might not care exactly what the perfume smells like as long as she can have a good time spraying it on -- and if Justin Bieber's face is on the package.

But if she's a budding control freak who tends to have strong opinions, you'll probably want to take her shopping with you. This can be a really fun trip -- you don't necessarily have to go to the drugstore for cheap teenybopper scents or search out a fragrance that's just for kids. If you're feeling adventurous, go to a "real" perfume store and start testing! You'll obviously want to avoid very heavy scents and anything that seems overtly sexual or too grown-up, but you'll probably find plenty of light fragrances that she can enjoy.

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Once you're home with your purchase, you'll definitely want to give your daughter a lesson in the art of perfume application. "Less is more" is the prime concept here -- she doesn't need to bathe in the stuff. Teach her that a couple of carefully placed spritzes is probably enough for the whole day.